It is known to produce lactic acid by the fermentation of carbohydrates using Lactobacillus delbrueckii. However, the effectiveness of Lactobacillus delbrueckii for producing lactic acid is significantly inhibited by the lactic acid product. The result is that as the concentration of the lactic acid increases during the fermentation process, the production of lactic acid is substantially reduced.
It is an object of this invention to provide a process in which the production of lactic acid is substantially improved by employing a strain of Lactobacillus delbrueckii which is resistant to lactic acid inhibition.